


In the Jungle

by AtlantisBlack



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-05-29 00:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15061097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlantisBlack/pseuds/AtlantisBlack
Summary: Follow Kim, Billy, Jason, Trini, and Zack into the jungle of Jumanji. When detention doesn't go quite as planned five teenagers are thrown into a world of peril and forced to finish the game.





	1. Choose Your Character

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I'm going to switch between perspectives, so you guys can get a feel of what the character are like. It's not anything crazy, just a different character per chapter. Thanks!!

There were few things Billy would say he despised. Gym was one of this things, along with the haircut he had in third grade when his mom went through her 'Hey Arnold' phase.

  As he circled the orange basketball in the gym rooms center, he wondered how long it would take to pass out from running. Couch blew the whistle, clapping her hands. "Pair up, for a game of catch!"

  She yelled and a hoard of student filed into uneven rows, tossing a football back and fourth. Billy paired with Zack, a lanky kid who had partnered with Billy since seventh grade soccer.

  They watched the ball spin into the others hands and held palms to the sky, waiting for it to return. "Hey, Trini. You can't play catch alone, come on pair up!" Coach hustled, making her way to a lone girl with a bright yellow beanie on.

  The girl flipped around, awkwardly slouching herself forward. She was short, so the mandatory gym shorts hung low on her knees and the t-shirt drooped over her shoulders.

  "I'm sorry, coach. I just don't think this is bettering my future." The short girl sneered. "It's movement, so that's good. And it's interacting with kids like you. Plus you could get some fun out of it." Billy watched the Coach make her case, though not really making it.

  "Fun? Yeah like I come to school to have fun. You're a highschool gym teacher, do you come to school to have fun?" Short girl bit back, making Billy's heart spike.

  It was difficult to watch what was happening and know how she could be punished. At times Billy thought he was too empathetic for his own good. 

  A few kids stared out the corner of their eyes, continuing the game of catch. When the ball landed back in Billy's hands he glanced over to see Coach's face had gone red.

  "That's detention young lady." Coach barked, almost giving Billy an anxiety attack. Still he buried the feeling and the world shook under his skin. "Billy Cranston?"

  A voice called. His eyes shot to the large gym doorway where Mr. Carter stood. He waved his hand to Billy and called him over. An anxious feeling tickled the tips of his fingers, but he squeaked down the floor anyway.

  Mr. Carter was an old man with ghost pale skin. He looked like the death of all happiness. He had a balding spot at the top of his head and wrinkles giving him a permanent scowl. 

  As they walked silently through the hall, Billy distracted himself with the walls. Dark blue and white paint patterned the bricks, one blue, one white, one blue, one white.

  The trophy case expanded over the years, so much so that it covered most of the wall near the front doors. Jason's name was etched on the tallest trophy and a picture of him smiling reflected in sunlight.

  It was a wide and proud smile that Billy recognized from when they were kids. That smile would beam as he proclaimed victory over their castle. Not much time had passed, yet all Billy could remember was that smile and muddy hands.

  Mr. Carter held the door, letting him enter first. Billy's gaze nervously flitted over the room. He sat in a chair next to a boy with sandy brown hair.

  Jason Scott was a tall boy, with baby blue eyes and a strong jaw. An angry look fell over his face and he glared at Mrs. Gold next to the desk. "Go ahead Mrs. Gold."

  Mr. Carter said, settling in his seat. Mrs. Gold cleared her throat, which sent shock waves of anxiety through Billy. Jason seemed fine, though, it was probably fine. Billy thought, his lips involuntary following the words.

  "... 'and on beckons the moment of new beginnings. We watch the whole world burn, only to see it rise again.' Does that sound familiar to you Billy?"

  He shook his head no, even if he meant yes. She quirked an eyebrow, glancing over to Jason. A stern look wore on her features which made her whole face sag and tight bun pulled at her forehead, making that the only taut skin she had.

  "Really, because it's the paper you wrote for me last year. You've written this metaphor in six other papers." She growled, then slammed the paper onto the desk. Mr. Carter jumped back with Billy and Jason, just as shocked.

  "What Mrs. Gold is trying to say is, if you needed help, this wasn't the way to get it Jason." Then suddenly Billy felt a wave of guilt surge through him, ready to speak up.

  "A-actually I made him do it." He stuttered. Jason sighed like he was angry and rubbed over his eyebrows. "You made him let you write his paper?" Mr. Carter had an exasperated expression. He was tired and Billy thought they all felt the same thing.

  By the time Billy reached detention, his backpack was heavy with homework. Mr. Carter gave the group a speech about self reflection, then lead the five down to the basement.

  He continued by telling them how the staples needed to be removed before being recycled and left them with a stack of magazines. Billy recognized everyone in the group.

  Kimberly Hart sat on the bench, trying to get cell reception. Trini Gomez, from gym, quietly pulled staples out. Jason Scott wondered around the room. Finally, Zack Taylor stood next to him, asking Billy how to do it.

  "I know how I ended up in detention, but how did you end up in detention?" Billy asked, knowing that he left Zack in first period, with no detention. Zack laughed and it made Billy's heart flip.

  "I told Coach she can't limit free speech, when she punished crazy girl over there. Viva la revolution!" He whispered. His breath blew over Billy's neck and sent a chill over his spine.

  Zack had sharp features, disheveled black hair and kind monolid brown eyes that filled Billy with a warm felling. Zack gave a soft smile and went back to not knowing how to take the staples out.

  Jason said something about a bowling ball, then continued to the second shelf. For a moment everything was quiet, the sound of magazines bending as white noise.

  "Hey Billy, what's Jumanji?" Jason called, hunched over the back shelf. Setting a magazine aside, Billy instinctively went over to Jason. He noticed how Jason's back stiffened as he held the game in his hands.

  Shoulders rolled back, neck bent, and eyes focused on his own hands. Soft pink blush spread over his cheeks, contrasting the blue in his eyes.

  Ever since they were kids Jason had a beauty Billy couldn't explain. Something fluttered in his stomach, body going hot all over. "Is it some kind of Nintendo game?" Billy swallowed the feeling, to look over the game.

  It looked like an old time Nintendo game, round top, straight sides and bottom, grey plastic, and a designed sticker in the middle. "No, I don't think it is. I've never seen this before."

  Their hands brushed together, Billy's stomach flipping itself. Jason's hand were so warm and soft, they made Billy's body tingle. "We should plug it in, guys." Zack called, by an old TV.

  The screen was already filled with grey static and Zack leaned over a black box that looked like it held their game. A high pitched squeal came from the TV, so quiet Billy could hardly hear it.

  The game was old, it had a maroon background, with leaves in the corners, and a gold shield type begin button. The three boys held controllers as Kim circled to get a better look. 

  "What character should I choose?" Jason asked, eyes on the screen. "Whatever man, I don't think it matters. I'll pick Carter Dagger, the generous professor." Zack piped, clicking on his icon.

  "I'll be Jefferson "Seaplane" Mcdonough." He tried to click over the icon, but it wouldn't go. "Aye, we're not supposed to be playing video games." Trini chimed in, annoyance leaking from her tone.

  "You want to play Kim?" Jason asked, noticing her interest. She shrugged and picked up another controller. The look Jason gave her made him want to throw up. "Why don't you play for a couple minutes? It won't matter." 

  Zack said to Trini. She rolled her eye, but moved over to them anyways. Billy watched Kim pick 'Shelly Oberon'. Kim had dark hair that brushed over her shoulder, light brown skin, and long black eyelashes.

  She was nice enough to him, but he had this aching urge to dislike her. "I'll be Franklin 'Moose' Finbar, sounds like a cool guy." Jason grinned and clicked the icon.

Maybe Jason needed glasses, because that said 'Mouse'. Billy picked Doctor Braveheart, clapping his hands. Finally Trini picked Ruby Roundhouse, then they clicked start.

Loud drums shook the room and a bright green flare washed over the room, disorienting them. Someone asked what was going on and another moved to unplug the game. 

When nothing changed Billy noticed how his started to chip away. It all happened so fast he forgot to think about help.


	2. Welcome to Jumanji

  Kim felt her whole weight being pulled down, wind yanking her skin in the opposite direction. Her eyes pinched shut as the thought of hitting the ground ran through her mind.

  The air wrapped her body in a biting blanket and leaves followed suit. Once she reached the ground her body stung and the world was upside down. An entire jungle replaced the dusty basement she once knew. 

  Large trees reached for the vast sky she just fell from, bushes with long leaves spotted the dirt floor, the sound of animals pressed into her consciousness, and the smell of rain flooded the exact air she breathed.

  She knew this wasn't real, it couldn't be real. The game had shocked her and she'd gone into a hallucinogenic state. These smells and sights were just memories of things she'd already seen. 

  Another thud hit the ground, a huge brown man standing in front of her. Just sounds and sights she'd already seen. He could have been someone she'd passed on the street or a neighbor from a long time ago.

  "Oh, no no no no. What happened? What happened." The man stumbled over his words like he'd never heard his own voice, but seemed more interested in the answer.

  He raced over to a creek to look himself over, rustling the memory of leaves. An unexpected yelp fell from man's lips and he fell back from the water.

  When Kim went to answer, another thud landed beside her. Then another, then another. She peaked up to the sky, sun glaring through the leaves. Her breath picked up, like something was holding tight to her lungs and wouldn't let go.

  She watched the ground shift out from under her, closing her eyes tight. The sound of her moms voice shut out whatever was happening around her. Deep breaths Kimberly, deep breaths. Open your eyes, look at the grounds stay calm, you're here.

  She paced her breathing, enough to make a candle flicker, but not enough to blow it out. Her eyes opened to the dark dirt, letting herself focus on clumps of brown earth just below her feet.

  Once she was satisfied with the beating of her own heart, she straightened herself, and glanced around. A tall thin man stood next to a bush, his eyes lost in the trees. 

  His dirty blonde hair was covered with a helmet, gentle blue eyes moving over what Kim had already assessed, and tan skin went pale with fear. He couldn't have been but a few years older than Kim.

  A low grunt pulled her attention in the other direction. The large brown man patted himself down, eyes wide with shock. He was a bald man, with narrow brown eyes, a wide nose, and bulging muscles. 

  The man next to him was another story. Half of his small body was take-up by a large backpack, he had big brown eyes, a wide nose, dark skin, and a curly beard.

  They backed away from each other, suspicion in their eyes. Kim thought there was something oddly familiar about the two, but couldn't place it. Then there was the girl.

  She skated her gaze over the jungle, dark red hair brushing over her shoulders, her eyes were dark brown, and her skin was pale. The outfit seemed inappropriate for the jungle, but if this was a fantasy it was a good one.

  "Who the hell are you guys?" The girl asked, watching them all with a cautious glare. "I don't think I know anymore." The boy with golden hair said, then stared down at his own hands.

  "I'm Billy Cranston, people used to call me Billy Crams tons-" The large man said, interrupted both the small one. "Billy?!?!" All their faces went pale and Kim looked back over the group.

  Recognition rung in her ears, the mannerisms fitting perfectly. "You've got to be kidding me." She gasped to herself. The whole world was upside down. "Wait, wait, wait if you're Billy. Zack?" The short man pointed an accusing finger to the golden haired boy.

"No way, Jason!" Golden hair said to the short man. She watched golden hair trip over rocks and twigs with a terrifying thought. Had her own thoughts become conscious beings?

  "Trini," Kim said quietly, as she stumbled over to her. The red heads eyes studied Kim. "Kimberly Hart?" They went quiet for a second, sending a nervous shot through Kim's back.

  "Yeah?"  Jason made a disgusted face and Zack fought back laughter. Kim nearly tripped over herself to get to the creek. Dear god. How much electric shock did she get?

  She was in a pale man, with a round belly, narrow eyes, a green zoo keepers hat, brown hair, and small round glasses. "What. The. Hell." The world wasn't just upside down, it was rewritten by a spiteful god.

  "Kimberly, I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this." Billy attempted to sooth, she rubbed her hands on the knees of whoever this was, and shot up.

  This had to be a nightmare, maybe the whole day was a nightmare. She always failed tests in her nightmares. Maybe that was it. Had to be. "Are we inside the game?" Zack asked, once again looking to the sky.

  Billy mouthed something none of them could make out , except Jason. He watched Billy calculate the whole situation in his head. "Jason, we're in the video game."

  A cheerful grin spread over Billy's face. Jason nodded, looking to the rest of them. A sudden shock wave of reality moved through Kim. She was in a video game. The whole thought of reality detonated right in front of her and there going to be casualties.

  A sudden tightening in her chest, knocked the air out of her. Persistent ringing flooded her ears and the corners of her eyes went dark. As the whole world faded into nothingness a faint yelling called out, with the sharp pain of teeth biting into her lower body.

  Next thing she knew, Kim was falling again. Landing was easier this time, as she fell out top of Jason. He said something muffled, but Kim was too busy catching her breathe to get off. Zack grabbed her hand and yanked her up, with hardly any force.

  Billy bounced around, switching his eyes between where Kim was and where the creek was. "What just happened?" He shouted, wide eyes searching everyone else. "She was just eaten by a Hippo?" Trini's soft voice insinuated. 

  Kim furrowed her eyebrows, scoffing. That was impossible, well nothing seemed impossible now. "Hippos can move as fast horses, over shorter distances and have the biting width of 1821 pounds per square inch." Jason rambled like some kid reciting his favorite movie, but his face failed amusement.

  "Woah, cool dude I didn't know you knew that much about hippos. It's actually pretty convenient." Zack laughed, seeming awfully calm for the situation. "I don't." Jason on the other hand looked very shocked. "What?" Zack asked. 

  "I don't know anything about the damn hippos! The closest experience I've had was with a board game when I was seven!" Anger boiled through Jason as he attempted to get a grasp on what was happening. Someone was projecting.

  For some reason Kim looked back to Trini for comfort, but was met with far off eyes. "Guys do you hear that?" She questioned, pale face going completely white. Kim followed her terrified gaze to a few rustling bushes. A grey jaw snapped open and from the belly of a beast shrieked a soul shaking scream.

  They all stood in fear, except for Jason who she heard yelp and run off. Once they fell to reality from the initial shock, their feet did all the work for them. Kim's heart was a wild bird, beating against her rib cage, but she took Trini's sweaty palm and pulled her away from the beasts.

As they raced away from the hippos, the jungle thinned and a dirt path came into view. A loud horn beeped at them, a windowless jeep driving up. "Ah," an Australian man, in the drivers seat said. The doors opened with a sound sealed doors in a lab make.

"Doctor Bravestone, welcome to Jumanji." He trailed to Billy, or Doctor Braverstone, Kim wasn't entirely sure. "Don't just stand there, let's go!" She glanced behind, where Trini had already let go if her hand. Crowding into the small car she found herself with Zack on her left and Trini on her right.

Billy sat in the front seat and Jason to the left of Zack. "Dr. Bravestone, famed archaeologist and international explorer. Known all across the seven, continents for your courageous exploits." The man said, driving away from the monstrous hippos. "Excuse me?" Billy questioned, searching for a seat belt.

  "I can't tell you what an honor it is to finally meet you, and I'm not embarrassed to say you're even more dashing in person!" Billy mumbled a thanks, glancing around the car. Kim smiled at the adorable blush that spread over Billy's now tan skin. Jason shot the man a nasty glared, not able to hide his jealousy. "Yeah, I didn't notice earlier under the threat of death, but you're hot Billy."

Zack smirked, which startled billy into looking elsewhere. Why was no one asking the obvious question? "Who are you?" Kim huffed, annoyance biting at her tone. The man glanced back with an off putting smile. "Nigel Billingsly, at your service. Professor Sheldon Oberon, welcome to Jumanji, I've been so anxious for your arrival. As you know, Jumanji is in grave danger, we're counting on you to lift the curse." 

The car fell silent for a moment, everything anxiously sorting through it in their heads. "Curse? What curse?" Trini glanced around at everyone like it was all crazy. Kim knew it was crazy, but pressed her side to Trina's as a sort of comfort. "Ruby Roundhouse, killer of men. Welcome to Jumanji, I've been so anxious for your arrival. As you know, Jumanji is in grave danger, we're counting on you to lift the curse."

Trini gave him an ugly look. There was murder in that girls eyes. The car jolted them forwards and backwards and side to side. "What is with this guy?" Jason groaned, gripping the back of Nigel's seat. "Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar," Nigel continued his greeting and Jason gave an offended look.

"He's a part of the game." Zack gasped, pointing to Nigel. "Oh," Billy dragged. "A simulation." Zack nodded and it seemed everyone else got it too. Nigel tipped his head back to look at Zack. "Historian, Carter Dagger," he said another greeting. "Did he call me mouse?" Jason asked, a little too late. "It's moose." He corrected, in an arrogance Billy grinned from ear to ear at, but made Trini roll her eyes.

"No, good sir, I'm quite sure it's mouse. Given for your diminutive stature and adorable manor." Trini snorted, while Kim and Zack out right laughed. Billy pressed his lips together in a smile, biting back the urge to laugh. There was so much happening it was difficult for Kim to keep track. She felt light headed, not in the good way.

"Dr. Bravestone doesn't go anywhere without his trusted sidekick!" Jason flashed in anger, his tiny face boiling. "I'm Billy's sidekick?" Fury ran over his face and the car exploded in giggles. "Ever since Doctor Bravestone rescued you from the clutches of warlord in the jungle of Peru, you've never left his side."

Jason pursed his lips, and looked out the window with no glass to watch to trees roll by. "As funny as this all is, can we get back to the cursed thing?"  
Trini laughed the first few words then finished in perfect tone. "It's all well documented in the letter I sent you." Nigel directed to Billy. "Letter? I don't have a letter. Jason tell him I don't have a letter."

Then a white envelope appeared in Billy's hand. Kim shook her head in shock. This place was a living nightmare. He studied it in shock, before opening it. He began to read, then Nigel's voice fazed over Billy's. "Doctor Bravestone, I am writing to you regarding to desperate situation in Jumanji. We need your help at once. My name is Nigel Billingsly."

The world flashed to a rustic forest and they couldn't tell where they were. "Oh my god, oh my god." Billy repeated. "What the hell is wrong with this place!" Trini shouted. "We have to get out of here." Kim sighed. "Cool, backstory!" Zack beamed. "I hate it here." Jason groaned. Then Nigel's voice continued over the letter. 

"Jumanji feild guide. I was hired by your former partner, now nemesis, Professor Russel Van Palt. To lead an expedition. You see Professor Russel Van Palt had come in search of the Jaguar shrine, the place of the sacred jewel of Jumanji. As you know better than anyone, the jewel was his great obsession. After years of research, he believed he had discovered its whereabouts." 

"Vanpalt told me he wanted to study the jewel in order to document it in his findings, what I did not know is he wanted to take it for himself. Legend tells that the Jaguar watches over Jumanji. Anyone who dares to blind him will be consumed by The Dark power. After taking it, he called all the creatures possessing them controlling them. Thus a curse befalls of this once Pleasant land. I begged him to put it back but once he had it in his grasp he could never let it go. So I waited till he slept at night and I made my move."

He ended the tale by saying Vanpalt wanted anyone who stopped him for getting the jewel to be slaughtered. The world flashed back to the present, them.on some sort of mountain. "Alright there you go." He grinned pushing the glowing green jewel to Billy. He was scared, anyone could see it on his face. Being slaughtered in a video game come to life wasn't a pleasant way to go. 

"With the invaluable help of yours Associates you must use your skills to return the jewel to the Jaguars eye, lift the curse. And I'm sure you'll want to get started right away. Good luck, the fate of Jumanji is in your hands." The doors opened on their own, startling the weary passengers. "And remember the goal for you I'll recited verse return the jewel and reset the curse. If you wish to leave the game, you must save Jumanji and call out its name."

They all pushed out, unwillingly. Kim stared at the ground, dark green grass underfoot. "This is the worst day of my life." Jason groaned. "Dr. Bravestone, here is a map of Jumanji! You must go to the Bizarre and find the missing piece!" Trini rolled her eyes and turned her head to the sky. "Home boy, enough with the riddles!" She groaned. Nigel drove off with a loud repetition about saving Jumanji and hand out the window with no glass.

Kim gathered her sense, then stood behind Billy, watching over his shoulder. In his hands was a tan price of paper, lines curved along the page, and moved together like one big puzzle. One of the ends was gone, so she offered a reasonable conclusion. "Maybe we're looking for the missing piece of the map." Kim said, glancing at Billy's face. "Yeah, but there's nothing there." Billy stuttered, as he slyly moved away from her. "Please stop touching me." He mumbled, then Kim backed away still close enough to see the map.

Trini let out a hard 'what', cursing and kicking some dirt. Kim shook her head. "No, it's a map, it's a map of Jumanji." Billy shook his head and glared. Even if it wasn't his own face, Kim could see Billy push through the chiseled surface. They crowded around Billy, not touching. Still it seemed only Kim could read the map. "Are you kidding me, it's right there!" She shouted in frustration. 

They all backed away from Kim, knowing their answer would upset her again. "Our characters in the game all have a certain set of skills!" Zack yelled excitedly, hitting a mosquito on his arm. Billy again started to murmur what he thought and came to another conclusion. "That's why Jason knew about the hippos, that mean that Kim would be the only one to know about the map."

Billy beamed, mumbling the last part to himself. "I bet there's a way to get to the-" Zack was cut off with a loud noise after he searched his body for the answer. A green square glowed in front of him and he nearly screamed. Bright green letters wrote. Strengths - History, Directions Weakness - Rocks, white rhinos.

The rest followed reading their traits off. "Strengths, Fearless speed Boomerang smoldering intensity," Billy paused, his face went serious and his lips pouted. "What just happened?" He asked, spinning. "Did you just smoulder?" Kim chuckled and pressed her chest to get her skills. The yellow square read, Strengths: Cartography, Archaeology, Paleontology Weakness: Endurance. She swallowed whatever pride she had, starring at her skills.

She glanced back over to the rest. Trini glared at hers with suspicion, Strength: Karate, Tai Chi, Aikido, Dance Fighting, Weakness: Venom. Somehow, the thought of Trini getting bit by a snake seemed more hair raising than her lack of usable skills. "What the hell is dancing fighting?" Trini, again, groaned. Jason read over his aloud. "Strength: Zoology, Weapons Valet. Weakness: Cake, Speed, Strength."

He paused. "Strength? Strength? How the hell is strength a weakness?" It felt as if Jason was getting the sour end of things. Kim took the map from Billy, new lines and words spreading over the map. "The map is changing!" She mused. Brown cursive writing and green mountains appeared on the paper. It read 'The Mighty Roar' across the mountains.

"What do you mean it's changing?" Jason screamed as if this was her fault. He was the one who found the game and wanted to play. He was to blame, not her. "It didn't say this, now it does." She snapped, drilling holes in Jason. Billy asked her what it said and she turned to him, with a calm face. "It says, The Deep, which was over where we just came from and this new part says, The Mighty Roar, where we are now."

Those drums they heard from the basement beat over their heads and a Mighty roar came from the hill tops.


	3. The Missing Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry these updates are weirdly timed. All the love!

  Trini ran and she ran fast. Her legs carried her faster than they ever had before, wind whipping through her. The motorcycles roared behind them, each rumble an inch closer. Adrenaline shot through her, with every step. Jason screamed far behind her as she raced into the jungle. Everything darkened and she ducked behind a few trees. 

  The bark was rigid against her hands and for the first time that day she could feel her own heart beat. It thundered through her wrists, pulsing in the pit her stomach. She was real, for the first time it didn't feel like she was watching from the sidelines.

  Leaves snapped around Kim's feet as she navigated a body that wasn't hers. Trini wondered if any of them knew she felt like her body wasn't her own, even in the real world. Kim kicked her knees high, to avoid the roots of a tree that had erupted from the ground.

  Though the feet failed her and she tripped, a motorcycle racing toward her. Trini didn't think, the body acted on its own. She raced to Kim, was propelled on her side through the air, and kicked a man off a motorcycle. Her boot push in his chest and she felt a crack.

  A part of her cringed at the feeling of his body breaking under her foot. Even if he wasn't real. The motorcycle roared on, then finally crashed into a large tree a few feet behind Kim. Trini paused to stared down at the hands. They were paler and smaller than the ones she usually saw.

  The nails were longer too, but it felt the same as being in the one everyone called her own. The jungle was kind of like her body, foreign, crawling with things outside of her control. Kim's hand grabbed Trini's and pulled her further away from the hills. 

  They came across a high cliff. Water rushed under their feet, both of them peaking over the edge. Billy and Zack ran up, more motors in the distance. Then Trini glanced over, seeing how Jason clung to Billy's new back. "We have to jump!" Kim said, with Zach already falling down.

  Bullets flew into a tree behind them and Trini decided it was time. Leaping down, the wind brushed her hair over her head. The water caved under her and soon she was completely engulfed. Under everything was blue. It sounded like the time a butterfly flew into her ear and all she could hear was its desperate wings to be free.

  Her ears popped when she surfaced, her lungs filled with a need for air. The red hair suctioned over her eyes, clinging to the under part of her jaw. Billy and Jason were the last to jump, they only surfaced as the rest reached the rocks. A gasp came from Zack and red leaked over the white shirt he wore.

  His body turned in on itself, imploding into little red specks that evaporated with him. Kim looked up and the rest of them followed. The sky was easier to see, so vast and blue. A dot blotted it, slowly getting bigger until Zack splashed back in the water.

  "That was so cool!" Zack laughed, flinging water at them from his soaked hair. "Guys, we should get going. Before they come back." Billy chimed in, with a look up the cliff. So they began to walk. Zack hummed the whole way to another cliff, Kim lead the way, with a map in her hands, Jason groaned every few minutes, and Billy marched like a soldier. 

  It was a long way to being done, but Trini felt the way she did when her family went on that road trip. She was nine and her brothers weren't born yet. The whole world was new, so she could do anything. What nine year old couldn't. With her back against red rocks, she had an aching feeling in her chest.

  How did she get to where she was now? Where was the point where this game felt more real than her actual life? Kim pointed to something in the sun, then guided it to a market crowded with people. "That's great, what are we supposed to do there?" Jason whined. Trini swore he was the worst person to be stuck in this situation with.

  The way he treated them all. Not just them, Billy. She wanted to rip his head off, but then he'd come back with more to bitch about. Kim rolled her eyes. "We're supposed to find the missing piece." She scolded, turning back to the map. Billy nodded and Jason asked under his breath what that was supposed to mean.

  "Man, you just don't get it." Zack leaned farther back on the rocks, watching the bottom carefully. The farther down it got, the harder it was to see anything. Eventually the bottom looked like an abyss of black none of them wanted to explore. Still Kim seemed the most confident. Her eyes never wavered from the market and she got them there quickly.

  Bodies crowded all around Trini, a cacophony of voices speaking all at once. Some old man yelled about bread, then waved his hand in the air to catch anyone's attention. "God, I'm starving!" Kim said, over the other voices. She grabbed a few loaves of the tanned edible sponge, passing it down.

  Even with none of her usual parts, Kim operated like a master of life. Trini could see her at smiling at the lunch lady. A smile tugged at the corner her lips and she bit back the urge. Once Kim took a bite she let out this low groan that made the hairs on Trini's arms stand.

  Naturally Trini did the only logical thing, which was to curb the feeling by stuffing her face. "Is this cake?" Billy asked, taking another bite to test it. His eyes went wide, then awkwardly smacked it out of Jason's hands. "What the hell Billy?" Trini felt a sense of pride for Billy in that moment.

  "Your weakness was cake!" He yelled, then started to pace. Billy's hand ran over his head as he attempted to figure out what to do. "It probably just meant I loved cake." Jason sighed, picking up the cake. A low growl came from Jason's belly and he shot back up. He looked around like no one else heard that, then pop.

  His body exploded like a firecracker on the fourth of July. "Woah, that was unexpected." Zack said. They all looked up to see Jason scream all the way down. "What the hell Kim, why didn't you to me it was cake?" Jason shouted once he landed. Kim shrugged. "To be fair I wasn't listening." Billy stopped his pacing. He grabbed Jason's arm, then Zack's, then Trini's, and last Kim's.

  He stared at the strange marks on their arms since the beginning. Something brewed in his head. "Kim got eaten by Hippos, Jason exploded, Zack was shot." His voice was soft when he mumbled and Trini liked that. It was like there was so much in his head that he had to say some of it out loud. "We all have lives." 

  "Yeah Billy, that's kind if the point. Now can we go find that piece, so I can get back to mine?" Jason said as if he was the only person that mattered. "No, in the game. We've all got three lives." Trini looked down at the arm. Even black rectangles printed over the pale skin, three to be exact.

  She glanced over to Kim's and saw only two. Same with Jason and Zack. It was a lot more terrifying to know how much you could lose, she could could see it on their faces. "We can die in the game." Zack gulped. A little boy interrupted their contemplation on what it would mean if they died in this game. 

  His eyes sparkled up at Billy, conveying hope. "Dr. bravestone thank goodness you're here Jumanji needs you!" Whatever this messed up game needed, it wasn't any of them. He was no younger than her brothers. To know the horrible truth only brought up more questions.

  "Sure it does." Jason scoffed, as he rolled his eyes. There were tears brimming in those eyes, he was just as afraid as the rest of them. "Do you know what the missing piece is?" Billy asked, a little more determination in his face. The boy ushered them to follow him, leading them through the crowd.

  No one spoke as the boy lead. There were no words for a life lived so little, being faced with end. The boy didn't seem to notice their grief and got them to a small tent with a basket in the middle. "What you need is in the basket, one false move you're in a casket. Trust one another and do not blink, the missing thing is not what you think." 

  The boy spouted an ominous riddle that left Trini a little annoyed. "Good luck Mighty Hero, Jumanji needs you!" He ran away into the crowd. Trini caught herself, watching him fade into the distance. "I guess we just open the basket?" Jason moved forward to open it, the deadly drums beating their confidence into the ground.

  "Enough with the damn drums." Kim murmured through gritted teeth. They stood in the tents entrance for awhile in silence. "I don't know about you guys, but these feels like a doctor Bravestone thing." Zack said, practically throwing Billy under the bus. They all nodded in agreement, driving it over him.

  "What, It looks like Jason is better equipped to handle this." Pointing to the Jason he held a fearful look. "Nope, you're doing this Billy." Even with the most terrified look in his eyes Billy inched towards the basket. "Jumanji needs you." Kim encouraged. He placed his hands on either side of the lid and pulled up.

  A dark snake seemed to float out of the basket, then Billy slammed the lid down. "There's a snake in there!" Kim screamed, hiding her face behind Trini's shoulder. "Black mamba, a quarter milligram of its venom is enough to kill an adult. You feel a tingling sensation in your mouth, followed by a high fever, forming at the mouth, and ataxia, which is muscle control loss."

  "OK will you stop that, for like five seconds?" Kim snapped at Jason, then pushed herself further behind Trini. The basket shook a bit and Trini jumped away with small yelp. "Guys, I think it's a staring contest!" Zack concluded, in the heat of the moment. He knelt in front of the basket, telling Billy to take it off again.

  When he did the snake rose from its place with eyes on Zack. Trini felt herself relax slightly. Maybe he could do this. Fear melded its way onto Zack's face, he jumped out of the way, and screamed loudly. The snake switched its gaze to Trini. Small beady eyes bore their way to the core of Trini's soul.

  Her heart rate picked up, the whole world spinning. The mamba leaped into action, snapping its jaw open to kill Trini. For a moment she thought she was dead, eyes closed tight. She had to force herself to look back into the face of certain death. There the mamba was, frozen in Billy's hand. A sigh of relief tore itself from her chest.

  It flashed its pointed fangs at Trini again, so she yelped and ran away. Billy bounced on his toes. "What do I do? What do I do?" He rambled over and over. His arm extended as far as he could take it while he looked around for a solution. Realization crossed Jason's features and he glanced around.

"You have to defang it." He whispered, joining the action. "pull its mouth back from the blind-spot so it's taken by surprise but you got to be very careful of the Venom gland the whole secondary Venom duck and then you got a snap its teeth out of its head." He pulled the snakes head back, cautiously put his hand in its mouth, and snapped its teeth out. 

When Billy dropped the evil little monster it didn't move from the floor. Jason got a proud smile on his face, looking back up to Billy. Their eyes lingered on each other until Zack spoke up. "Um, guys I think I found the missing piece." He reached in the basket, pulling out a lumpy piece of paper.

It was the same color as the map, but as Zack unfolded it a small black elephant figurine revealed itself. "When you see me, begin the climb." Zack read, making them all look at each other for the answers. "I hate this game." Kim sighed, exasperated. Zack put the elephant and note in Jason's backpack, then they stepped out of the tent.

The man from Nigel's flash back stood a few feet away from them, so the booked it. Running through the crowd, they made it to tall man who stopped them. He went in the punch Billy, but Billy dodged it. Both Billy and the man looked shocked. Jason smiled again, only bigger. "Yeah, kick his ass Billy!" He cupped his face and shouted.

Billy did just that. They watched him punch and kick, and throw men into walls. Once they reached the back of the tent a man with dark hair approached them. He had a childish smile, nudging his head for them to follow. "This way!" He lead them to a sewer drain and they all climbed down.


	4. Before the Storm Pt. One: Twenty Years Too Late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late upload, I've been kind of busy. I'll try not to let it happen again.

  Jason buried his face in the sleeve of his shirt. The sewer smelled like everything bad in world. The man grinned widely at them, pulling a torch from the wall. An orange light filled the cave, much more than one torch should have. 

  He looked like a guy you'd expect to be in a boy band when he was a teen. Short curly black hair, small brown eyes, thin lips, and pale skin. They started down a narrow hall, with brown bricks covered in something wet. 

  "I saw you guys in the Bizarre, but I didn't know if it was true." He exclaimed. "Against the wall." He straightened himself against the wall and their group followed his movements. Arrows went racing by them to a fully decade skeleton with other arrows in it.

  Jason made a face, glancing to Billy's tall figure. In the dark all he could make out was a silhouette. Throughout the years he found himself watching Billy. It was a little odd, but he just liked certain things about him. The way his skin glowed in the sunlight, while he read under the tree outside Jason's house.

  His eyes when he talked about Oscar Wilde. Just Billy showed everything about himself without a second thought of what anyone else would say. The game ruined that. There was something wrong about looking at Billy and not seeing him. 

  "Anyway, I'm totally stoked to see you guys!" Billy brushed against the back of Jason, his whole body enough to blanket Jason's. He still felt his heart calm itself at Billy's touch, that didn't change. "You were waiting for us?" Kim asked, holding Trini's hand. The man glanced back at them, with another smile.

  For being in a monstrous video game he smiled too much. "Oh, yeah for awhile now. Feet on the white tiles." Billy gripped Jason's shoulder, pulling him back to a white tile. Silver blades shot through the ground and slanted under their eyes. A constricted squeak came from Zack.

  "Hold on." The man stopped at an edge, grabbing long wooden board. He placed it over to the other side. Something snapped under it, with a loud splash at the bottom. He walked over like no big deal and turned back to them. "Be careful, it's an awful way to die." 

  Kim followed his gaze down, flinching back from whatever was down there. She pinched her eyes shut, let go of Trini's hand, and quickly walked across. The board bent under her weight, another loud snap coming from below.

  The two locked hands, then met chest to chest. He looked at her for a long time and Trini cleared her throat. The man let our a low sorry, then they continued through the path. Once it is as Jason's turn he stared to black water. Sharp ridges waded through the water, with shape teeth snapping up at him.

  He backed away and looked back to the man. His eyebrows furrowed together, and he pursed his lips. "I could carry you on my back again, if you want." Billy leaned down to ask. Jason shook his head and did what Kim did. Closed his eyes and launched himself over the board.

  He felt around for the man's hand, then finally found it. When he reach stone again his eyes shot open. A loud laugh erupted from his throat. Every turn he took in this world was meant to kill him, but somehow, for the most part, they'd all succeeded.

  Billy didn't even flinch as he walked across and Jason's ears went hot. He noticed he was staring when Billy smiled at him. It was different from Billy's smile, but the same. He had no way to explain how it was just Billy who made his insides melt.

  Sometimes it was just as simple as a person with a smile. He snapped out of his daze, meeting the rest down a long a hall. The end was finally in sight. A door, sunlight peaking from the edges. The door opened to another piece of jungle.

  There was a shelter with no walls. Tan wood planks held a tin roof amongst the trees, the floor stood a few inches off the ground, and a long bar divided two parts. A hand made table was on the side they faced, with a blanket as a rug.

  As they stepped onto the wood paneling, Jason noticed the dozens of candles that surrounded them. "What's with all the candles?" Jason asked, holding his hand over an open flame. The heat didn't hurt, not that much. 

  It stung more than anything. Billy grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from the fire. For a moment Jason saw Billy watch his hand with the racing thoughts he always had. For a moment they weren't in a game that wanted to kill them. 

  "Mosquitoes, they're one of my weaknesses." He laughed, then Billy got a scared look on his face and let go of Jason's wrist. "I'm Alex, by the way." A wide grin spread over his face. They stayed quiet, each one in search of a corner in the new place.

  For the first time Jason felt the world was slow enough to process. The whole place was covered in green, from grass on hills, to the trees and bushes that moved through Jumanji. Heat waved through them, like the words of a book, silent and unseen, but still there.

  The door they came from was littered with graffiti, red underneath it. Jason knew this world wasn't real, at least he knew it wasn't his world. Still everything he touched felt real. That was the thing. Pain was real wherever you went.

  Billy was real, his body wasn't, but Billy was there. They were stuck somewhere between fiction and biography. Alex spoke again, he pressed a hand to Jason's shoulder and smiled. "It's a real relief you guys are here." He made his way to a blender on the dividing bar.

  "Have you been waiting for us?" Kim asked, sitting on a stool across the bar from him. Trini followed suit, Zack, Billy, and Jason sat on the couch with a short table in front of them. Alex poured a few things into the blender, then pressed a button. 

  The buzzing was low and loud, but they could easily talk over it if they wanted. "Oh, yeah for awhile now." He stated like it was nothing. Something struck in Billy's mind and he excitedly glanced at Jason. "You're the character that was taken!"

  Such a Billy move to get excited over solving a problem. It was so adorable though. "Oh, yeah." He smiled again. Straightening himself out, he put his hand horizontal to his forehead. "Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough!"

  A giddy laugh erupted from his throat, clearing the air around them. It was almost calming to hear someone else's happiness. Alex leaned on the bar and stopped the blender. "Yo, what are you making?" Zack leaned farther in the couch, as Alex poured them cups of a lime green drink.

  "Martinis, it's one of my strengths." The conversation lulled for a few minutes. Jason sipped at his drink, eyeing Billy. He'd glance over, to see Billy smell the cup, then set it down. Billy's eyes scoped the room, then met Jason's.

Jason felt his heart jump to his throat, and his face go red. He flipped his eyes away, turning his eyes to the trees. The sun was setting, already halfway out of sight. Neon orange stained the sky, with a few stars already up. It was difficult to believe this could all be fake.

Life's beauty was that even if the ugly was real, so was the beautiful. Here, in Jumanji, only the bad was real. "How long have you been here?" Trini asked, pulling Jason from his thoughts. She tapped the full cup in her hand, eyes glaring into it. 

"Times kind of funny here. A few months maybe?" Alex glanced back at the blender, his arms folded over his chest. "If I was honest, I'd say it's pretty lonely here. I mean before, I like being alone. Now I know there's no one to be alone from."

There was something unreadable in his eyes. Jason felt his heart ache. They could be stuck here for the rest of their lives. Everything Jason worked to be, gone the moment he walked into detention. What would the papers say about him?

'Star Athlete, Jason Scott, Missing!' 'He was just like his father.' That would've been a laugh. If only his father knew the way he looked at Billy. "Woah, guys what's with downer attitude? We'll get back, just need to finish the game." Zack encouraged. He was right, they were more than half done.

"I only have one life left, like barf me out." Alex joked, getting a smile. Kim furrowed her eyebrows. "Barf me, what?" 

"Barf me out. I've died two other times, they were gnarly." Billy scrunched his face together, in a totally cute way. "What the hell does that mean?" Kim whispered. Trini shrugged and Billy got that look he got when he realized something. "What year is it?" He asked. The rest of them kind of looked at him like he was crazy.

It was sort of obvious what year it was, but Jason let it play out. "Nineteen Ninety-two." Alex said, shrugging. He was joking, he had to be joking. "Did you just-" Zack started. "Nineteen Ninety-two?" Kim attempted to finish. Alex nodded. "Dude, I don't know how to say this, but-" Jason started.

"You've been in this game for twenty six years!?!" Trini attempted to finish. Alex's face went white and he looked them like they were crazy. "Though, I wouldn't have said it that way." Jason flinched.


	5. Young and Full of Broken Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I just got a job and I've been busy lol. This one is less than expected sorry guys.

  The shelter was silent, Zack felt his bones awaken, startled to be in his body. A gust of wind ran through them, like the awful feeling of brokenness. It shattered every bit inside, slipped out during a night of dreams, and left a shell. Each one of them knew what this meant, they felt it in their guts.

  "Jason, I want my mom." Billy croaked, Zack saw his eyes swell with tears. Jason just looked forward though. His eyes were wide and unfocused, a soft dullness over them. They looked like dark clouds in the sky, just before the rain. A waiting period for something to drop. 

  Zack didn't want to be a hero, he didn't want to save Jumanji. He wanted to go home. No one last time to do something he should've before. Zack wanted a lifetime of his mother's voice. Why couldn't he just have more? Everyone else got more, it wasn't enough the world wanted to take her, but now it wanted what he had left.

  What was the reason? He didn't ask for this, he didn't ask for any of it. Couldn't they just start over. Go to the beginning and just do it over. Everything, the world, people, life. Zack felt his stomach twist, that same something curdling inside him. "Twenty six years." Alex mumbled, he looked worse than any of them.

  "Twenty six years." He repeated, really tasting it on his tongue. Zack could only imagine it tasted bitter. There was something in his eyes, something Zack didn't want to recognize. Then his eyes filled with tears, brimming with a pain that couldn't be felt all at once. Within seconds he was on the floor, curled into himself, and pulling at his hair.

  After that nothing was still or silent. Kim sobbed quietly next to Trini, banging her fist into the bench they sat on. Jason started to scream, a low heavy scream that filled the air with agony. Billy wasn't any different, he got up and paced, whispering things that didn't make sense. Trini and Zack were the only frozen things.

  It was such a vile thing, being so young in so much unspeakable pain. "Shut up!" Trini screamed, her voice shaking like someone made grief inside her bones. "If we're going to die here, I want to die knowing I did everything to live. Even if you don't." Tears stripped down her face and red hair brushed her cheeks.

  Her face bloomed a deep red, to match the hair. She stood and stormed away to the woods. Kim was the only one to follow, the sound of twigs snapping under her boots the only sound left. There was a new empty around them, like white noise filling them with nothingness. "She's right, we have to figure out what to do." 

  Jason wiped the tears from his face, pulled his shirt over his hand, and wiped the tears from Billy's eyes. Alex stood from the floor, then wiped himself off. Being a teenager was hard. One minute the world was ending and the next it crawled with hope. There was an ache in his chest, with a soft ringing in his ears. 

  "I know where we have to go next." He nodded, sliding his eyes down the bar. "There's a transportation shed, we need a helicopter to get to the Jaguars eye." He sighed. The stool creaked under his weight. They sat in silence for awhile, until Kim and Trini came back. The sun had already started to rise again, so they started on their way to the transportation shed.

  "What is the future like?" Alex started with he small talk. "How would we know? We've never had anything different. I mean I don't really know what the past is like." Billy rambled, sliding a small grin on Jason's face. "Like Billy said, how would we know?" They started down a small path, that curved along a small pond.

  "Speak for yourself, I watch a lot of movies from the eighties." Kim laughed, her eyes over the pond. Zack wasn't sure if everything was better. There was still a blankness in Kim's eyes, a sore nature to Jason's laugh, and a brimming tear in Alex's eye. A loud splash interrupted Zack's brooding, which made him look at the source.

  Alex sprung from the creek, soaked. Light glared from the creek, trailing over to Alex's slouched over figure. Zack pressed his hands to the cargo pants, looking up through the trees. The moment went by like a movie, Jason leaned over to help Alex out of the pond, grabbed his hand. Alex got a look in his eye, yanking Jason down in the pond. 

  Water splashed along their boots and the air felt lighter. "Canon ball!" Kim yelled, then jumped in beside Jason. Zack launched himself into the creek. The water was cold around him, a shiver ripping through his spine. He heard a small splash beside him, before surfacing. Trini came up beside him and Billy had his legs in the water.

  The clear water warped Billy's calves, with a few fishes swimming past his feet. As the water warmed on his skin Jason let out a low laugh. It bellowed through the air hardy and loud. Something swirled in Zack's chest, his new laugh ready to join in. Soon enough a variety of laughs clouded their ears. Zack let his mind drift to the infectious laughter. His sides strained with repetition of his soft chuckle. 

  "Stop!" Kim cried, overtaken by the feeling. She repeated the cries between fits. Once they settled they heaved away the over-excitement, Zack floated through the water. His body spread like cross, feeling a million miles away. Jason joined Billy at the edge, them talking about something he couldn't hear. Even if they still felt the pressure of never being able to leave Jumanji, it was enough to be in this moment. Wading through the water, Zach watched the sun glare over the tree leaves. 

  The smell of rain ran over them, in intense waves. The sun burned his skin, a low heat in the pit of his stomach. "I don't even know how long it's been since I've felt like this." Alex said, making Zack roll his head to see him. His eyes were closed, a soft red spread over his cheeks, and a lazy smile steadied over his face. 

  There was a peacefulness about Alex. It made Zack's heart jump, staring at the boy with a charming smile. A a pair of hands pressed to his chest and pushed him into the water. His hot skin sizzled in the water. Water stung his throat, then filled his lungs. He heard a muffled laugh, before surfacing again. Trini held her gut, with her laughter back in the air. Zack knew he had a look of offense on his face, which only made her laugh harder. 

  "You should have seen the look on your face!" She huffed the through short breathes. There was a soft snort from behind him, followed by Jason's silent laughs. "Funny." Zack shoved his hands through the water to splash it on Trini. For the first time since they joined the game, Zack felt he belonged with his classmates. He wasn't handling everything on his own.


	6. Slow Dance with Me

  Kim dried the jacket she wore out, glancing to Trini. The short red hair clung to her cheeks and Kim caught herself smiling. There was an awkward stance to her, hunched over, and arms over her mid drift. Her eyes shifted uncomfortably over the jungle.

  Once they met Kim's there was a pause, then Trini turned her head with an angry huff. It actually made Kim smile. "It's funny, huh?" Trini chuckled, with a soft smile. Her eyes were closed and there was a blissful expression on her face. "We're all stuck here, in this hell game, but I'm happier here than..." 

  A frown sunk into her face, as her eyes opened to tiny slits. Kim slung her jacket over her shoulder and quickly walked to Trini. Grabbing Trini's hand, Kim traced her thumb down the lines of her palm. "You're hands are so soft, after all that fighting." The words just rolled out of Kim's mouth, like a slow dripping waterfall.

  Their foreheads pressed together, heat passing back and fourth. Breathe became one, the steady drum of two heart beats. "I want to hold your hand out there too, see how soft they are." Trini took a few steps back, gently pulled her hand away, and crossed her arms over herself. Hunched over like that, her body curved into itself. Another angry huff blew out of her, which made Kim smile again.

  The other four walked past them, with easy smiles. Zack walked with his arm around Billy, overlapping with Jason's. A song came from their throats, awkward and uncomfortable to hear. "If this game doesn't kill me, their singing will." Trini scoffed, then followed them along the trail. There was an almost peace to this.

  Stiff clothes, warm sun beating down on them, and a childish happiness in the air. It remind her of summer, when her family went to the lake. Man, nothing could beat it. "It's not too bad." Kim soothed, looking up at the trees. A few birds flew above, wings free in a way Kim had never been. 

  She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the warmth Jumanji brought. Sure everything here wanted them sea, but it was nice to be here. At times, Kim had come to find, it was enough to just exist, with the birds, and the leaves, and the girl who made butterflies in her stomach. Yeah, sometimes it was enough.

  When they reached the transportation shed, Alex told them to sit behind a group of rocks. Two men stood in front of the entrance, weapons ready for any unwarranted attacks. Zack slouched against the rocks, with his arm balancing on his hiked up knee. While Trinity leaned against a nearby tree. Billy, Jason,and Alex crowded together behind the biggest rock.

  "That's it, we need a distraction." Alex explained, glancing over the rocks. A large metal shed stood behind the two men, with a tall wire fence around it. "We need a way inside first." Zack slouched closer to the ground, then Jason started to dig around his backpack. Loud clanking came from the inside, Jason's arm in elbow deep. 

  Jason pulled out a rusted pair of bolt cutters. "How about these?" Billy did a little clap, giving a wide smile. "Still need a distraction." Trini shouted from her tree. It should have been easy enough, they'd all gotten this far. "Do any of you have any kind of Strength that can pull something off?" Alex glanced around at the group. All their eyes went to Trini, her eyes went wide in panic.

  "What can I do?" She squealed shyly, hands waving back and fourth in front of her. A blush landscaped its way over her face. "You're Ruby Round House, Killer of Men." Zack remarked in a snarky tone. With that Billy did a little nod behind him, shifting closer to Zack. They weren't quite touching, but Kim could still see the goosebumps spread over Zack's arm. 

  "You could flirt with them." Jason suggested, peering down the hill where they stood. A disgusted scoff came from Trini, her nostrils flared in repulsion, and she let her eyes wonder to the men. "Fine, if I lose a life I'm blaming Jason." Kim felt her body shake in an almost anger like state. Her mom would call it worry, or stress that she couldn't understand at the moment.

  "Why me?" he asked, but no one listened. Alex led the way to a blind spot at the wire fence. They could see the backs of the two men, Trini sauntering closer. Kim's heart frenzied through her chest, like a trapped animal. There were a few words exchanged before the man tilted his head in their direction, almost enough to see them at the fence. 

  Metal bent under the bolt cutter, shaking the entire fence. "Could you be any louder?" Kim scolded Jason. He shot her a look, then continued to make an opening. Billy pushed the cut wire to the inside of the fence, to let the others pass through. The transportation shed filled with different vehicles, each a little strange to be in the jungle. 

  "Which one do we take?"Billy questioned, with his eyes moving between the shed's content. "The helicopter looks like something a pilot would fly." Zack said, staring at the rusted paint. Kim made her way to a window inside the shed. Dirt collected around the edges, just enough to tint the view to the outside. There was a son Kim had never heard playing.

  Trini was dancing on one of the men, their weapons on the ground. Her body stepped to the music perfectly, not a hip movement out of place. A heat coated Kim's new body, everything too sensitive to not feel. One of the men said something to her and she kneed him in the stomach. He grabbed a chair to steady himself, then the other man went down.

  Soon it blew into a fight, Trini's steps never out of bet withe the music. Damn did she look good doing it. "She's kicking their asses!" Kim screamed in joy, with Jason coming up behind her. He made a grunt when her leg collided with one of their chests. "Yes beat their programmed asses!" Zack laughed through cupped hands.

  The small shelter collapsed as she walked towards the shelter, a low rumble behind. Rows of motorcycles roared behind through the tree and guns started to fire at the shed. "Uh, can we hurry this up?" Kim looked back to see Alex inside the helicopter, Jason rushing towards it. They all pilled inside, Trini still behind. The doors shattered around the propellers, splintering the air.

  A metal piece of shrapnel shot down and struck Trini, right through the chest. Unbelievable pain radiated through Kim's body. The helicopter was so loud, she couldn't hear her own desperate screams. Zack's arms wrapped around her, so she couldn't jump from the helicopter. Tears pricked her eyes, burning deep inside her. There was a loud boom and Trini fell from the sky.

  Pushing aside the heavy feelings,Kim held out her hand, and waited for Trini. Their hands collided in a loud smack, a low pain in Kim's. Her arms strained to pull Trini inside, an almost suction like force pulling her down. The wasn't how it ended them trying to save each other and failing.

Kim felt herself die when that hippo ate her. That cold emptiness she felt just before she fell again, she never wanted any of them to know that. Especially Trini. Zack used his body to pull them both in, the helicopter wavering on the impact of Kim's back to the floor.

Trini collapsed onto Kim's chest, while Kim hugged her closer. Something swelled in Kim's chest, an uncontrollable happiness inside her. She buried her face in Trini's hair, smelling strawberries in the cherry red hair.


	7. Missing Pieces

  It had been weeks since Aruna saw her daughter last. The pictures scattered the bedroom floor, the once bright room dimmed. There was a universal feeling throughout the house. Complete agony sat at the dinner table every night, the slow scraping of forks a reminder of the missing person.

  All the pictures of their daughter were put away. Aruna was angry when her husband faced the first one down, so angry she smashed the frame. None of this had been easy, but he acted like he was ashamed. He couldn't believe the cops, there was no chance their daughter would run away.

  Suddenly she remembered the cop, his furrowed brow, and long look. "We get cases like this all the time, ma'am. A couple of kids get the crazy idea run away to New York or LA or wherever these kids choose to go. We'll look into it, but it seems to me your daughter ran away with her boyfriend, this Jason Scott."

  He gave them a cold look, then continued to ask questions about their home life. There was something distant and eerie about the man, how he looked down at their daughters picture with no emotion. At first her husband told her that there was no way this could've happened without them knowing.

  After the second week he started his own investigation, talked to the Oliver family who'd lost their boy over twenty years ago. He was up day and night, online, hanging up posters all over to, interviewing the highschool staff. One day she came home to see Kim's childhood picture facing the table. 

  The yelling was the worst part, loud throaty yelling that made them both lose their voices the next day. When she accidentally knocked the frame onto the ground her husband knelt down to pick up the picture. He shook, he cried, and he clutched the picture to his chest. They didn't eat dinner that night, they didn't even sleep.

  Everyday felt worse than the next. As she glanced around the room she saw all the pictures still up. No one touched the blanket on Kim's bed since Aruna change them the morning they lost her. A sliver of sunlight peaked through the curtain, spreading over the bedroom floor. 

  It made a long diamond shape, stretched along the dresser and reflected off the mirror. There was a picture of all of them at the lake in between the mirror and the frame. They all had bright smiling faces, she could relive Kim's life. From her first steps, to last summer. All she had to do was come into here. 

  The smell alone was enough to make her chest ache and eyes brim with tears. Vanilla, Kim used to wear the vanilla presume Aruna bought when she was born. It took Aruna eight years to get a new perfume, but she guessed Kim picked up on it. She found an old bottle when they were spring cleaning, then she spritzed it all over the house. That's what she got for Christmas that year, four bottles of the perfume.

  Aruna fell to her knees, quick flashes of Kim sifting through her mind. It was going so fast and she couldn't stop to feel it all. Kim was beginning to turn into a blur. Soon what she sounded like would leave completely, what she looked like would go a little later and there'd be nothing left except these pictures.

  ____________________________________

  Sam woke to the smell of his own sweat. The mechanical rotating of cranes stiffened the morning air with a busy feeling. The passenger side of his truck littered with empty beer bottles, then the piercing head ache ran through his head. Every part of his body felt heavy and difficult to move.

  It wasn't like he wanted to move anyway. A dirty sweat quickly got colder on his neckline, on his back too. Jason couldn't have left a note? No he had run off and act like an adult. Now his Mom didn't sleep and Pearl didn't care about school. Time didn't even matter anymore to him, days faded into days, he got angrier and angrier.

  Everything meant so little to Sam, the last thing he cared about was time. He glanced around the loading dock. The sun had barely started to rise. Wiping his hands on his month old jeans, he pulled down the visor, a small picture sliding out. Sam stared down at the bucktooth picture of Jason after his first baseball game. 

  His hat was on crooked and the sun glared behind him. It was a good day, one of many. Something sour in his chest brewed ugly and hateful. How could his son leave like that? Why would he want to do this to his family? Sam stomped his boot down on the photo, pressing it into the car floor.

  That boy was always so selfish, it was only a matter of time before he hurt them.

  ____________________________________

  The day Billy didn't come home Candace knew something was wrong. She paced the driveway, arms crossed and mind racing. He couldn't have gone far, she told herself. After three hours she drove to every spot he could be. There were times when his anxiety made him late. On those days she always knew where to look.

  The mines where he and his father dug, the tree house where him and Jason used to play, and a small pond where she taught him how to ice skate in the winters. Most of the time she'd hear his anxious muttering and know he was ok. She would wait outside for him to stop, made lean against some trees, then go home to wait for him there.

  An uneasy feeling washed over her as she raced to the last place. The piles of leaves crumbled under her boots as she walked towards the low hanging tree. The wood had turned dark after all these years, yet it still held its structure. She climbed the ladder the boys built, peeking inside the old hangout.

  An old box sat in a far corner, their old toys inside. "Billy." Her voice broke in half as she stared down at his well kept toys. There were days she worried about this more than others. The things she saw on the news. A boy like him wasn't safe. She was going to tell him her and his father were going to tell him.

  She placed a hand to her chest, gripping the shirt. If he was here, he'd be so calm, he'd help her find him. Candace shook her head, she had to find him. For weeks after she put missing pictures up all over, even in neighboring towns. There wasn't a day she stopped.

  ____________________________________

  Zack had been gone for two months now and as the days turned to weeks Doctor Smith wondered if he was ever going to come back. He was a smart boy, but with his mom now in the hospital for pneumonia it was difficult to think he'd been home at all.

  At the very least he would've been back to give his Mom her medicine, then most likely skip off to some dangerous place without any adult supervision. There points of worry Doctor Smith had about the boy and this was one of them. As she flipped to the next page, Doctor Smith glanced at the clock. 

  Nine, her shift was almost over and Ms. Taylor would stay here, alone. Her chest rose and fell in a steady pattern. After all this time it was difficult to remember anything other than what Ms. Taylor was now. She could understand how Zack didn't want to be around to see it, but he never let it get this bad.

Life didn't always go on, sometimes it stopped sudden. The worst way life stopped was slow. Time couldn't imagine what he's been through. Ms. Taylor missed her son, maybe that was killing her faster. Time was a funny thing, when it truly mattered.

______________________________________

No one talked about Trini, it was an unspoken rule. The first time Xavier asked about her, a cold feeling ripped through the room. June was colder than usual, she pushed away the thought of Trini. It was a game none of them agreed to play. 

Patrick glided his eyes over the dinner table, poking the potatoes with a fork. There was nothing they could do to sooth this tension. Every moment of the day he felt on edge, never knowing what to do or say. Still Patrick did what he could. The cooking and cleaning was done by him, any free chance he got. 

There were nights he didn't sleep, spending the night with photos albums of Trini. Sometimes he'd watch the video of the first time she walked, with his eyes closed it was like those days didn't pass. As if Trini could still be that smiling little baby again. Patrick knew that they'd lost her long before that day 

Now, there was no way for her to get back. Every night slipped away and every day went by faster. There was no way he could tell when she was fully gone, but one day he was apart of her world and the next she wouldn't even eat dinner with them. If she was alive, he'd never get to see her graduate or get married.

He thought he watched her whole life slip by, now he didn't even get to watch anymore. All the missing pieces of his life, he never thought Trini would be one of them. He'd have to live in this pain, wait for the day it becomes a black hole and swallows him whole.


	8. From Here On

Alex listened to the low buzz of the helicopter, like quick steady thuds over the roof. For the longest time Jumanji felt like an inescapable death trap, but as he watched the trees from above he saw how beautiful it was. Away from it all he could see just how amazing everything was, the dark jungle stretched on under them, like an endless castle of green.

  Being here, he'd never experienced something so breathtaking. "Woah, you really know how to fly this thing, huh?" Zack said from the back, he leaned over the side, eyes catching everything. It looked like they were all excited to see what Alex was seeing. Except Jason, Who kept his head tilted down and wide eyes.

  "Come on Jason, you should really see this." Everything around them turned to brown, now filled with canons and cliffs. Part of Alex wanted to reach down and feel it. He'd never been anywhere but Angel Grove. There was still so much out there and he wanted it all. "No, uh-uh. I'm not going to fall." Jason gasped, squeezing his eyes closed.

  "How can you be afraid of this, you're a Football player." Kim asked, with an annoyed glare. Trini sat between Kim's legs, counting Kim's fingers over and over. "What, that's supposed to make immune to falling out of a helicopter? It has no doors!" Zack scoffed, his arm wrapped around Billy. "I'd be more scared of football, you could get a concussion, lose your mind."

  Trini answered, she pointed to her head, then widened her hands to signify explosions. Loud drums thundered above them, something twisting in Alex's gut. All eyes were on the ceiling now, as if it could give them the answer to why this kept happening. Below them gathered a hoard of rhinos. "Albino rhinos, indigenous to Jumanji. They're big, carnivorous, and dumb!" Jason said to his first look out the helicopter.

  "We just have to stay away from them." Zack smiled over Jason's shoulder. There was a quick snap above them, the helicopter making a quick glide down. "Why. Would. You. Even. Say. That!" Trini said, between slaps to Zack's arm. Alex flipped some switches, and glanced around. "The collective is busted, we can't go up!" Alex shouted over the noise, the helicopter scraping the rocks.

  "What do you mean it's busted?" Kim shouted, a quick glance over her shoulder. "What I said!" Alex violently replied. "Fix it!" Trini screamed angry. "It's on the top, I can't fix that unless we stop!" The ground shook, heavy stomps getting closer to them. A heard of rhinos rushed them, with harsh pushes to their end. "I'll fix it!" Billy stated, his arm on top of the roof.

  There was a terrified look on Jason's face, like his whole world just got split in two. "No, you can't!" Zack yelped, his voice cracked and shook his head gently. "Why not, he's Bravestone! Jumanji needs him!" Trini argued as she attempted to keep herself in place. They shook as the rhinos started to catches up, Alex saw one of them get snatched out with helpless scream.

  "Tell me what to do?" Billy asked, almost already outside the helicopter. "Ok, you gotta connect the flight control rod, to the mesh plate under the rotors!" He murmured it under his breathe over and over as he went out. "Be careful!" Kim cried, wind all in her face. "Yeah, yeah, be careful and hurry!" Trini squeezed in. They all waited in the rocking hunk of metal, until Alex felt the grip go up, and Billy slid back in.

  On the way up he let his hang out and caught Zack, like Kim did before. It took them a few minutes to get to all the way up in the air. Zack let out a low groan, gripping his chest. They all rode in silence to a bright green hilltop, where Alex landed them. Piling out of the helicopter, Alex stared over the world that held him prisoner for so long.

  "I can't wait to go home." Alex buzzed, rocking back and fourth in his feet. "I can't wait to eat some McDonald's again! It feels like it's been forever!" Kim groan, with her head towards the sky. A few of them nodded in agreement, but Jason just rolled his eyes. "Why would put that garbage in your body?"

  The rest of the group simply gave him an annoying glare, while Alex smiled. "All I know is one thing has to go first, me or the planet." Trini said with a little grin. Alex found himself wondering what they were all like in the real world. Kim was probably blonde, a cheerleader type who gives to good causes. Billy was probably as skinny as him, a good kid who spent his nights studying to be a doctor. 

  Jason was definitely a jock, tall and used to getting his way. Zack was probably the most like him, inside all day, a lone wolf. Outside of this game none of them would even talk, too caught up in being their own type of teen. "Is the future like the movie, Back to the Future?" Alex asked, watching their faces fall. "No, there are more black people." Zack exaggerated his words, turning to look at Billy.

  "More openly gay people too. Yeah, what a time." There was joking tone to Kim's words, but Alex had a feeling she was being serious. "Don't forget Beyonce." Each one of them let out a variety of agreeing grunts, Jason's almost a moan. It didn't matter much that Alex didn't know what or who they were talking about, the future looked good. In enough time it would be his present.

  A low but snuck in and out of ear shot, then a gradual pain spread through his neck. "Mosquito." He grunted, falling back on the hard ground. The whole world went dark, this was the end. Alex remembered church, his parents smiles, the smell of the girls shampoo who sat in front of him. Life was filled with so many wonderful and terrifying things.

  He could hear the muffled panic of his new friends, a pair of warm lips connecting to his. The world came back in pieces. The blonde strands of someone's hair, almost too perfect blue skies, and the smell of rain. Zack's eyes met his for a moment, his head in front of the sun. "What just happened, I thought I was dead." Two of them grabbed his arms and helped him off the ground.

"Zack gave you one of his lives." Alex looked between the lines one his and Zack's arms. "Thank you, thank you so much!" He flung himself onto Zack's chest. Everything felt calm, a settled rhythm in his chest. Even with his eyes closed, Alex could feel the tears forming. For awhile they just sat like that, until the sun slowly started to slink down.

They crowded back into the helicopter, to the Jaguars eye. At the bottom of the mountain they rested for the next part of the Game. Alex had never gotten this far, the end looked close and he was ready to see what life was like on the other side.


	9. I'm so sorry

I'm sorry that I haven't updated. I know it's been so long my grandma passed away a month ago and I've been going through a lot. I'll try to update soon.


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